I am sorry, what? There is nothing comparable to a book that blows you away so hard that no other book could measure up. So buckle up, fellow bibliophiles, we are diving into The Wolf King series today.
Let me start by saying I tore through The Wolf King and Night Prince only to fall into my biggest reading slump ever. That means one thing only: I discovered my first 6-star series.
If you want Outlander Scottish vibes but with wolves, stay tuned.
Side note: The last section contains spoilers.
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The Wolf King Book Overview
- Title: The Wolf King
- Author: Lauren Palphreyman
- Genre: Romantasy
- Series: The Wolf King #1
- Published: 12 September 2023
- Writing style: First person (single POV)
- Tropes: Forbidden love, love triangle, enemies-to-lovers, one-horse trope, slow burn, political intrigue, fated vibes
- Rating: 6 stars
- Buy it here: The Wolf King
Synopsis (source: StoryGraph): When a princess is kidnapped by an alpha, war rages between the humans and the wolves. But soon, forbidden attraction starts to grow…
Princess Aurora longs to escape the castle and the marriage that has been arranged for her.
But on the night before her wedding, at a dog fight where captured werewolves are made to fight for sport, she spares the life of a young wolf. It puts her on the radar of the powerful alpha who was going to kill him. And it changes everything.
That night, when the alpha escapes, he kidnaps her and takes her to the rugged lands north of the border — where the once warring werewolf clans are beginning to unite. He thinks that she is the key to winning the war against the humans.
Only, as they spend time around one another, forbidden attraction starts to grow. And as Aurora learns that not all wolves are bad, the alpha discovers that she is in danger from both his enemies, and those he once considered friends.
With monsters on both sides, a bloodthirsty war between humans and wolves raging, and undeniable passion growing between them — will their story end in love? Or tragedy?
And will Aurora ever get home?
Does she even want to?
The Night Prince Book Overview
- Title: The Night Prince
- Author: Lauren Palphreyman
- Genre: Romantasy
- Series: The Wolf King #2
- Published: 28 March 2025
- Writing style: First person (single POV), but prologue in MMC’s POV
- Tropes: Similar to the above but with darker stakes, more emotional turmoil, and bigger secrets
- Rating: 6 stars
- Buy it here: The Night Prince
Synopsis (source: StoryGraph): Aurora is caught between powerful alphas as they fight for the Wolf Throne. But darker forces are rising…
Aurora may have survived the Wolf King. But his bite marks her skin, and in accordance with Wolf Law, that makes her his property. Now, he wants her back.
To beat him and take his throne, Aurora and Callum must form a dangerous alliance with one of the most feared Wolves in the Kingdom, Blake. He is their enemy, but he has entangled his life with Aurora’s—meaning she cannot harm him without forfeiting her own life.
As she fights to break their connection, she suspects Blake is keeping secrets about a dark power that rises in the north, and the unsettling nature of the bond between them. It seems there is a bigger game at play than who sits on the Wolf Throne—one that threatens both the Kingdom of Wolves, and the Kingdom of Men.
With her wolf awakening, enemies closing in, relationships tested, and secrets revealed—Aurora may be the only one who can stop an ancient evil from rising.
If she can figure out who to trust.
If she can figure out where she, and her heart, belong.
If she can stay alive.
My Spoiler-Free Thoughts
The Good
You will not be able to put this book down for a bunch of different reasons:
- THE LORE. Werewolves can be very cringey if not done right. Lauren managed to sway me to the werewolf side. The werewolf lore is unmatched. The clan settings are immaculate. The Wolf Law is chef’s kiss.
- THE MILIEU. The world-building was simple yet sophisticated. This series felt like a movie reel in my head. She describes every setting with utmost detail.
- THE POLITICAL INTRIGUE. The Crimson Moth was my awakening to political intrigue, and The Wolf King ate.
- THE LOVE TRIANGLE. The only love triangle I ever enjoyed was Elena, Damon, and Stefan. Well, that just changed… Hello Callum, Blake, and Aurora.
- THE PACING AND STAKES. This is the perfect example of a pressure cooker series. Book 1 sets up the whole vibe, and Book 2 raises the stakes with darker plots and secrets.
- THE PLOT. This series is jam-packed. The plot is layered and not entirely predictable. I did predict a few things correctly, but only when that section of the book got really close.
- THE ROMANCE. It is so messy, I love it. This is a slow burn done right. The back-and-forth tension and the YEARNING hits. Yes, there is yearning!
The Bad
Uhm, I am completely biased and have no notes.
Let’s Talk Characters
Aurora’s feelings are complicated but real, Callum is a golden retriever in a kilt, and Blake is my new favorite morally grey character.
- AURORA. Her internal conflict makes my heart squeeze. On the one side, she is a princess and a pawn; on the other side, she can be so much more. I find her progress and mindset very realistic. I don’t know why, but she reminds me a lot of Rune from Crimson Moth.
- CALLUM. He is a strong, loyal, and an honorable alpha. Callum is very endearing, and we can understand why Aurora is drawn to him; however, he is also an emotional character who makes mistakes. We love an imperfect king.
- BLAKE. He has secrets, darkness, and charisma. He also challenges Aurora in ways Callum can’t. Needless to say, I am Team Blake all the way.
- SIDE CHARACTERS. The layers! There are clans, courtiers, rival packs, etc. Lauren created a mix of lovable side characters and characters you want to yell at.
Final Spoiler-Free Thoughts
Overall, The Wolf King and The Night Prince have me counting down to the release of book 3. So, in short:
- The Wolf King series is a solid 6-star read.
- I’ll give it 2.5-3 peppers. I usually get the ick with spice; however, this is definitely a love over lust book, so I personally didn’t mind it.
- Do I still think about it? Constantly.
- Will I reread it? Definitely.
- Do I recommend it? Add this to your TBR now.
Spoiler Alert
My Favorite Scenes
Oh, this is hard. I loved all of it. But if I have to pick:
- THE FIRST FULL MOON. Particularly when Aurora left her room only to encounter Blake resisting the shift. I will leave you with one quote from Blake: “Run.”
- THE COLLAR SCENE. No, not Callum’s collar. Blake’s collar. This scene just showed how much more feared Blake is, and I live for it.
- THE YEARNING. I loved every scene where the yearning between Callum and Aurora was evident in book 1. When book 2 hit, I unashamedly took a 180 to Team Blake.
- THE BITE. The fact that Blake just bit her so nonchalantly makes it so much better.
- THE DREAMS. In The Night Prince, Aurora and Blake are linked together and can walk in each other’s dreams (love this detail btw). Lauren used these dreams to further their characters’ arcs, and it paid off.
- THE BEGGING. I squealed. To see Blake, the feared, strong, and ruthless wolf, beg was the best part. I mean: “Let me have you. Just once. Please.”
- BLAKE SAVING AURORA. Ugh, this was good! The life-sharing started my whole Team Blake agenda.
- AURORA SAVING BLAKE. Confession time: I cried. The thought of Blake possibly dying made me bawl my eyes out.
- BLAKE AND AURORA DANCING. It gets me every time. The slow burn…
This list can truly go on and on.
Ending Discussion
The Night Prince’s cliffhanger HURTS. This is a case of I need book 3 now, or I will spontaneously combust.
The Night Prince ends with Aurora taking Blake’s hand and accepting his help. Alliances are shifting, secrets are getting darker, and there is still so much to be resolved.
I heard people say this is an easy, laid-back read; however, I disagree. The Wolf King series is definitely layered and complicated. I am still left with questions. That being said, I am not a hardcore fantasy reader (romcom girlie here).
So far, book 3 will release in the summer of 2026.
Conclusion
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this is a 6-star series for me. It is rare for a book series to hit every time, and Lauren Palphreyman did a fantastic job.
If you are looking for a romantasy filled slow-burn romance, forbidden love, moral ambiguity, and a terrific plot, then you need to pick up The Wolf King series.
Looking for similar vibes, but make it vampires? A Bargain So Bloody will scratch the itch The Wolf King left.
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Have a great day wherever you are in the world!
Love Steph ♥
